Principal Mike Safek, shown above congratulating the 2015 graduation class at Osoyoos Secondary School, said it’s going to be a bittersweet night on Thursday evening as the school is inviting the entire community to participate in a final goodbye celebration to OSS. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. and current and former students, current and former teachers and staff, and the community at large is invited to attend and give a proper goodbye to the school, which officially closes its doors at the end of June. (File Photo).
There are sure to be a lot of tears – but just as many laughs and fond memories – when current and former students and the community at large gather at Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS) Thursday night (June 16) for an official ceremony to say goodbye to the school that meant so much to so many.
“I think it’s very important that we give current students, former students, our staff, former staff, parents and the community at large the opportunity to say goodbye before we close the doors for good,” said school principal Mike Safek, who has spent most of the past 10 years of his professional career as principal and vice-principal at OSS.
“The whole community is invited and I’m expecting a very good turnout and very emotional evening.”
For the very few local citizens who may have been away from town for the past five months, OSS is scheduled to shut its doors for good after trustees with School District 53 voted in late April to close the school, citing declining enrolment and the subsequent reduction in funding from the provincial government, as well as projected millions of dollars in costs to upgrade the school’s infrastructure.
Safek was smiling a lot last Thursday as the school held its final Storm the Wall and Outdoor Track and Field competition at OSS.
Seeing so many students having a wonderful time knowing that this will likely be their last time spent together as a large student body was bittersweet as the students were having a wonderful time, but many couldn’t help but talking about how sad they are knowing OSS is closing its doors for good at the end of the month, said Safek.
The special goodbye celebration was organized by the teachers and staff, with strong support from the students, he said.
“It will be a celebration of 37 years of learning and teaching at OSS,” he said. “We just couldn’t close the doors without allowing everyone to enjoy a final goodbye celebration.
“This school has meant a lot to so many people and we wanted to provide everyone with an opportunity to come out and have a proper goodbye before we close the doors.”
The celebration will begin at 6 p.m. in the school gymnasium with several speakers lined up, including current and former teaching staff and students, said Safek.
“We will then show off a nice video presentation we’ve put together showcasing the school over the years,” he said. “Then we’ll have an open mic where we will allow anyone who wants to speak about their time at OSS to come up and share their fondest memories.
“I’m sure it’s going to get pretty emotional. It will provide one final opportunity for people to share their thoughts about what OSS has meant to them over these past 37 years.”
After the ceremony in the gymnasium, those in attendance will be invited to take one final tour of the school to talk to current and former teachers and staff, said Safek.
“We want to give former students one final chance to visit their favourite classroom and share some more stories about their time here,” he said.
The event should wrap up before 9 p.m., he said.
Mayor Sue McKortoff and members of town council have been invited, as have trustees with School District 53, said Safek.
“We had to invite the trustees … it is their school too,” he said. “It’s a district school and we felt it was important to invite the trustees and district staff to be part of our special goodbye celebration of 37 years of teaching and learning at OSS.”
Safek said he “has no clue” how many current students will attend, but he expects a nice mixture of current and former students to participate.
“We still have grad, final exams and two major awards ceremonies, so the current students still have plenty of time to say goodbye,” he said. “They are all invited to participate, but I’m not sure how many of them will show up.
“I do believe a lot of former students and parents are really going to want to be part of this celebration because this is one final chance to give a proper goodbye.”
Safek said he has no doubt it will be an emotional night for him as well.
“It will be hard because you leave behind a lot of very fond memories and relationships with staff and students,” he said. “I have worked here for the better part of the last 10 years and it’s just very sad knowing the school is going to close its doors for good.
“But I am also looking forward to having a great night and giving the school a proper goodbye.”
Safek was recently named the new principal at Tuc El Nuit Elementary School in Oliver and will resume his new duties in September.
Everyone who will be attending Thursday’s celebration is asked to start filing into the gymnasium after 5 p.m. as organizers want the event to begin at 6 p.m. sharp, said Safek.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
